Comprehensive Legal Counsel for Employment Agreements
At Tsamis Law, we provide comprehensive legal counsel to employees and executives navigating employment agreements. Whether you are entering a new role, negotiating contract terms, or facing a dispute over an existing agreement, our firm ensures your rights and interests are protected.
Why Employment Agreements Matter
Employment agreements define the terms of an employee’s relationship with their employer, covering aspects such as compensation, benefits, job responsibilities, and termination conditions. A well-drafted agreement safeguards your professional future and minimizes legal risks. We assist clients with:
Comprehensive Legal Support
Tsamis Law is dedicated to helping employees understand and negotiate the terms of their employment agreements. Our services include:
Contract Review & Negotiation
Before signing any employment contract, it is essential to understand its implications. We review agreements for fairness, legality, and potential risks, and we negotiate favorable terms on your behalf.
Job Title and Description of the Job Duties
An employment agreement should outline the employee’s salary, specifying the amount and frequency of the payments.
Bonuses, Commissions, and Other Incentive Compensation
Overlooking the fine points of when and how additional compensation is awarded can be devastating. At a minimum, the Agreement should describe the method and timing of the payment of the compensation. If the compensation is a bonus, clear language must be in the Agreement that the bonus is not discretionary. The terms of the agreement should clearly outline when the bonus is considered “earned.” The Agreement should also address what happens to compensation after the employee is separated from the company. Employers will often offer a variety of compensation packages.
Restricted stock options are a popular way to enhance an employee compensation package. Many start-ups use this method to compensate employees, but often this sort of “compensation” can be illusory. For high-level employees, it is prudent to deliberate carefully about offers to purchase stock or grants of stock. The right for an employee to exercise any such rights often terminates upon an employee's separation. Some companies will agree to accelerate vesting in the case of a no-fault termination.
Paid Time Off
Considering the assortment of paid leave laws, it is important to ensure that paid time off is just that—PTO. In general, if an employee has accrued but unused vacation or PTO time upon separation, the employer is required to pay out the value of the unused time.
Health Insurance and Other Employer Sponsored Benefits
It is important to understand the level of coverage and the amount of contributions the employer will make toward health insurance coverage for you and for your family.
Work Hours and Location
This is an area that should be addressed to protect the employee. It is especially vital to physicians, for example, to address on-call time requirements and the overall availability of backup staff when there is a heavier caseload.
Work from Home Options
Many companies are working out their return to office mandates. An Agreement should address how frequently the employee may work remotely.
Travel Frequency, Distance, and Duration
Some employees accept a position they know requires travel, only to later learn there is a heavy travel requirement. To avoid misunderstanding, the Agreement should address the frequency of travel, address concerns regarding the distance of travel, the length of travel (capping overnight stays), and the class of air travel and rental cars.
Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Obligations
Most companies nowadays have extensive contract provisions or stand-alone contracts that bind the employee to confidentiality and non-disclosure of certain information and trade secrets of the employer. These must be reviewed with great care because many of them contain non-compete and non-solicitation provisions.
Restrictive Covenant Analysis
Non-compete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality clauses can limit your career opportunities. We evaluate these provisions to ensure they are reasonable and enforceable, protecting your ability to work in your chosen field. Restrictive covenants are discussed in more depth in Non-Competes & Restrictive Covenants.
Severance & Separation Agreements
If you are exiting a job, we help negotiate severance packages, ensuring you receive fair compensation and benefits while addressing any restrictive clauses that may affect your future employment.
Dispute Resolution & Litigation
When disputes arise over contract enforcement, wrongful termination, or restrictive covenants, our firm provides aggressive legal representation to protect your rights and career.
Protecting Your Career & Future
Employment agreements have long-term consequences for your professional path. Our goal is to ensure that your contract reflects your best interests and positions you for success. Whether you are negotiating a new agreement or dealing with a dispute, Tsamis Law provides the legal expertise you need. When disputes arise over contract enforcement, wrongful termination, or restrictive covenants, our firm provides aggressive legal representation to protect your rights, reputation, and career.
Our experienced attorneys are ready to provide strategic legal advice and advocacy tailored to your career needs.
